Whole Wheat Pineapple Banana Bread and June Yoga Challenge Update

Good morning! Before I get to sharing my recipe for today, I wanted to give another yoga update as I’ve been participating in Courtney’s June Yoga Challenge.

I have now tried a Gentle class, a Flow class and four Hatha classes. I originally purchased a beginner’s one week pass at my yoga studio, which allowed me to take unlimited classes for one week for $15. I took four classes last week, so I think I got my money’s worth! When my pass expired, I decided to go ahead and buy an unlimited monthly pass for $50. I plan on going twice a week, and if I do, it will make the monthly pass a much better deal. Plus it will hopefully motivate me to go more often if I ever am lacking in motivation!

As I mentioned before, the Gentle class was just too slow for me. I think I am going to stick to at least one Hatha class and one Flow class each week. I really enjoy the Hatha classes and the Flow class that I took had me sweating, so I think it’s best to do a combination of the two.

Here are some of my thoughts on yoga from my experience so far:

When I walked into my first class (they ask everyone to get there early and most people do), my first thought was, “this looks like nap time for adults!” Everyone was lying down on their mats and it just reminded me of kindergarten :).

I can’t get over feeling like my yoga instructors are trying to hypnotize me at the beginning and end of class! The way they speak softly and draw out their words sounds like hypnotization.

I wish Teddy could give me tips on his downward dog. I think it is actually the hardest position for me – I just don’t have the flexibility in my back and hamstrings. I also never really put two and two together that the position was named after the stretch that dogs do. Duh! Teddy does it every time he gets up!

I used to be a lot more flexible. And I mean a lot. Growing up, I was never strong or fast or skilled at sports, but I was always flexible. It was my forte. Dance, gymnastics, ice skating – they all required me to be flexible – and I was. I did backbends and splits in my sleep. Now I’m having trouble doing a supported bridge in my yoga class. What happened to me?! This realization is definitely motivating me to get my flexibility back!

I can’t get used to the whole “ohm” and bowing at the end of class. Every time it happens I’m silently giggling to myself. I know it’s supposed to be meditative (and I don’t mean to offend anyone!), I just don’t know if I’ll ever be able to feel connected like everyone else in the room seems to be!

And there you have it! I’m loving yoga so far and have a lot to work on. Let’s hope I can keep it up!

Whole Wheat Pineapple Banana Bread

Moving on to my latest sweet treat!

Banana bread is one of my all time favorite breakfast and snack foods. My Mom made it all the time when I was growing up, and she would purposefully undercook it so that it was nice and gooey – just the way I like it!

When I saw this recipe for pineapple banana bread the other day, I knew I had to make it. Pineapple is my favorite fruit, after all! I made it a bit healthier by using whole wheat flour and substituting the oil for apple sauce. It came out delicious and was eaten up very quickly! The pineapple added just the right amount of sweetness and extra fruitiness.

The only thing I’ll do differently when I make it again is cook it for less time so that I get the gooey consistency that I love. Since I know I’m a bit strange for my love for undercooked banana bread, the recipe I’m sharing is how most people prefer it – fully cooked!

If you need a little extra motivation to get baking, think of how your house will smell while it’s in the oven :).

Just preheat your oven and mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Then mix your eggs, applesauce, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the mashed banana and crushed pineapple and stir until well combined.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well.

Then pour the mixture into a greased bread pan and bake at 350 for about an hour.

Your yoga studio has some great deals! Mine is $80 for an unlimited month – if it were only $50, I’d be there every stinking day! I’m interested to see how the yoga addition impacts your running – I’m having a bit of a hard time balancing the two, but when I make the effort to make it happen, it definitely makes the running more productive!

Well $50 is actually the student pricing (since I’m starting grad school in the fall I was able to get that rate woohoo!), normally they charge $80. I’m hoping I’m able to keep it up with my running too – I only run 3 days a week so I think I can manage two days of yoga. I just need to add some strength exercises in somewhere!

They consider downward dog almost as a resting position. When I first started, I never felt rested in that position. It’s tough!! But if you keep with it, it will get easier and easier. Sounds like you’re doing great!
What a great deal! 50 bucks is good. There is a hot yoga studio by my house I like but its 200 bucks a month. I know it’s hot, but still..that’s pricey!Kristen @ Swanky Dietitian recently posted..Fiesta Dip and Chobani Giveaway

Your comment about feeling that “ohm” feeling & bowing at the end of class made me giggle…I feel/felt the same way at the end of my Yoga classes. I always wondered if something was wrong with me or if I wasn’t doing things right because I never really felt connected!

Good job with your Yoga Challenge this week lady! I’m the same way at the end of a class.. I’ve been doing yoga for a pretty long time and still can’t get into the namaste bowing at the end. It’s just a little too zen for me sometimes.. ya know? hah

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Welcome to After Dinner Dance! I'm Caroline, a 27-year-old living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. My blog follows my love of cooking delicious and nutritious meals that make veggies taste good, and a bit of my life including my running and adventures with my toy poodle, Teddy! I have a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and I am also a Certified Health Education Specialist. Feel free to contact me at afterdinnerdance@gmail.com - I'd love to hear from you!